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r/EatCheapAndHealthy · u/CrispyInTheShadeAug 1, 2026, 4:09 PM

Do you have to calorie count fruits and veggies?

Hi. I'm on a diet that is healthy and sustainable, but I don't seem to be losing weight. When I do I feel unsatisfied in my diet. I just like being full.

I tend to not snack between my meals because hidden calories.

But what if I just graze on raw fruits and veggies, particularly in the space between dinner and bed? Did anyone do that during their cuts?

Is there a way to lose weight and not experience uncomfortable hunger? I'm fine with being peckish between meals, and even prefer it, but cmon. Otherwise I don't see myself keeping the weight off.

143

Comments

u/ketol1Aug 1, 2026, 4:12 PM
Yeah you calorie count them because (spoiler!) they have calories.
- u/Gal-Monday1Aug 1, 2026, 4:18 PM
  Woah! You need to stop saying things like this. OP is not complaining about their diet, they are asking about the impact on their body from snacking on fruits and vegetables. OP please go talk with a registered dietitian. Make sure they have a bachelors in nutrition or dietary science AT MINIMUM. You may not be losing weight because your body doesn’t want to. DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE THAT TRIED TO PERSUADE YOU TO COUNT FRUITS AND VEGIES OR TO LIMIT THEM!
  - u/YourLonelyStoner1Aug 1, 2026, 4:24 PM2 replies
  - u/[deleted]1Aug 1, 2026, 4:57 PM
  - u/ketol1Aug 1, 2026, 5:08 PM
- u/MrP1anet1Aug 1, 2026, 4:21 PM
  Wondering why they’re not losing weight does not mean the diet isn’t healthy or sustainable.
  - u/Daxx221Aug 1, 2026, 4:44 PM
  - u/ketol1Aug 1, 2026, 5:10 PM
- u/jmtyndall1Aug 1, 2026, 4:23 PM
  What I found helpful in curbing appetite was to focus on macros, specially protein and fiber. Then if I snack it's something like dry edamame, almonds or peanuts and the protein/fiber help keep my appetite down. I tried fruits and veg, but most fruits end up making me hungrier, with apples being the worst and making me feel like I haven't eaten all day. I have to eat my fruit servings as part of another meal.
u/whatacharacter1Aug 1, 2026, 4:12 PM
Veggies not so much, but fruits can be sneaky high in calories. An average banana is 100-150 calories. Even just one a week would add up to two pounds of unaccounted calories/weight gain over a year .
- u/swoopstheowl1Aug 1, 2026, 4:22 PM
  This is really edging on ED language
  - u/pissanteloupe1Aug 1, 2026, 4:25 PM2 replies
  - u/whatacharacter1Aug 1, 2026, 4:32 PM1 reply
u/BoringSundaze1Aug 1, 2026, 4:15 PM
Eat raspberries for the soluble fiber they contain. Vegetables are usually not high in calories and because they take a lot to chew you’ll most likely burn more calories than you take in while eating them. But stick to the leafy grains if you’re on a diet because it will help you lose the most weight.
u/FETTACH1Aug 1, 2026, 4:15 PM
I'd say you have to focus on low calorie, high protein, high fiber, in that order. I would say, it can't be a "diet" AND be "sustainable". You've got to figure out the foods you enjoy that fit that profile. And learn how to incorporate. Substitute yogurt for creams or use citrus and vinegar instead of oils for dressing. Low calorie substitutes for breads or wraps. Stuff like that.
- u/Secondhand-Drunk1Aug 1, 2026, 4:23 PM
  Exactly right. If you're going on a diet, you're lowering your calorie intake. You are going to be hungry. Losing weight means burning more calories than you take in. You can't be satiated and lose weight.
  - u/[deleted]1Aug 1, 2026, 4:26 PM
  - u/FETTACH1Aug 1, 2026, 4:28 PM3 replies
- u/FETTACH1Aug 1, 2026, 4:33 PM
  I'll add to help: High protein, low calorie meats include: pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, shrimp, canned tuna, turkey breasts or ground turkey High fiber: lentils, all BEANS, chia seeds(can use with your yogurt or mix in with most recipes as a fiber bump)
  - u/Clear-Ad69731Aug 1, 2026, 5:26 PM
  - u/Spiritual_Bird20321Aug 1, 2026, 7:20 PM1 reply
- u/letoiv1Aug 1, 2026, 5:30 PM
  If the problem is getting hungry between meals, I'd look at staying well hydrated and adding more soluble fiber to the diet. Oats, barley, beans, lentils, apples and the like. Some sources are more calorie dense than others, but they all capture water and expand like crazy in your gut. Doesn't take a lot of them to keep you full all day.
  - u/FETTACH1Aug 1, 2026, 5:32 PM
  - u/Twichl21Aug 1, 2026, 6:57 PM1 reply
u/Hapster231Aug 1, 2026, 4:17 PM
I dont, but if the scale ain't moving and everything is on point (minimum protein to retain muscle, low fat, sufficient carbs for working out) then I start reducing fruit, veg not so much since they tend to be lower in calories(but be honest with yourself, I mean veg without frying oils etc like steamed broccoli)
u/DaughterofMalika1Aug 1, 2026, 4:18 PM
Not unless they're higher calorie fruits and veg like bananas or avocados. You don't really need to count greens because even large amounts are low calorie.
u/Lord_Humongous7681Aug 1, 2026, 4:21 PM
You count everything or else your cheating yourself and not reaching your goals.
- u/UsernamesMeanNothing1Aug 1, 2026, 4:39 PM
  I remember many years ago when Weight Watchers changed their points program to make raw fruits and vegetables ZERO points... I gained so much weight on that program. I love fruit and veggies, but the change was intended to compel people to eat any fruit or veggie that wasn't dripping in sugar or fat. I think they assumed people might force themselves to choke down an apple that wasn't covered in caramel. Long story short, I agree: you have to count everything.
u/YouveBeanReported1Aug 1, 2026, 4:22 PM
I mean, I do but not actively. I wouldn't measure them or anything but if you eat a whole 200 calorie cantaloupe or multiple bananas or something thats' an amount that could make a difference. I would however not feel bad at all going over your goal with veggies and fruit. I'd measure and properly count the dip if you use any, but a carrot or apple? Just select one medium one and enjoy. Maybe even skip counting it sometime. I know when I was having cucumbers as snacks I only added one to track I had a snack even though I have 2 because really it's like 25 calories, I mostly needed to count the salt on it.
u/jmtyndall1Aug 1, 2026, 4:24 PM
What I found helpful in curbing appetite was to focus on macros, specially protein and fiber. Then if I snack it's something like dry edamame, almonds or peanuts and the protein/fiber help keep my appetite down. I tried fruits and veg, but most fruits end up making me hungrier, with apples being the worst and making me feel like I haven't eaten all day. I have to eat my fruit servings as part of another meal.
u/KingKhram1Aug 1, 2026, 4:26 PM
I always count calories of everything I eat and drink. You tend to not have snacks between meals because of hidden calories, the fruits and veg you will be graze on, still contains calories
u/lightningbug241Aug 1, 2026, 4:28 PM
If you're counting calories, count all the calories. Calorie counting tends to be ineffective specifically because people tend to not count certain things that end up really adding up. Snacking on veggies (and fruits to some degree) is a great thing to do if you're hungry and trying to lose weight, but the calories do still count.
- u/slash_networkboy1Aug 1, 2026, 5:36 PM
  It depends. No need to count celery for example :)
  
  If OP wanted to they can research "free" veggies and only use those for grazing. Thing is they tend not to be wholly satisfying on their own and as soon as you add dip you're back to counting snack calories.
  
  Freebies I use:
  
  Cucumber with dry herbed salt mixes
  
  Celery
  
  Pickles (watch out for too much salt)
  
  Green bell peppers (strictly not free, but pretty close when raw)
  - u/lightningbug241Aug 1, 2026, 5:41 PM
  - u/Confident-Pumpkin-191Aug 1, 2026, 7:46 PM1 reply
u/Still-Art451Aug 1, 2026, 4:31 PM
Yes, fruit have a tonne of sugar.
u/kindcrow1Aug 1, 2026, 4:31 PM
I always have to calorie count. I am vegetarian and gave up dairy and alcohol several months ago. I STILL have to count calories because I will overeat things like hummus and nuts and even oatmeal! It's all about portion sizes!! I was doing the classic weight-loss thing of eating a baked potato for lunch with beans and salsa on top. But the baked potato I was eating turned out to be 270 calories when I thought it was about 100.
u/Pukeipokei1Aug 1, 2026, 4:35 PM
Vegetables (non-starchy) can be negligible. Fruits definitely need to be counted. Recently I have incredible results with psyllium husks. But definitely dun take two tablespoons at once! Limit it to one tablespoon and wash it down with a large glass of water or two.
- u/CrispyInTheShade1Aug 1, 2026, 4:47 PM
  What happens if you take 2-- lol. I'll Google it 😂
u/cydril1Aug 1, 2026, 4:35 PM
If you're asking this question then yes you count them. Count everything honestly until you can get a good idea of what kind of calorie intake you have vs your maintenance. Once you have a better understanding of your maintenance and how to stay below it you can loosen up with the counting every little thing.
u/stellar-polaris231Aug 1, 2026, 4:37 PM
I track fruit and if I'm eating veggies in bulk or I just guess about how much, but am pretty lax about it. So I don't count most veggies. Instead I give myself a range of calories and know that my veggies are included in that. I lost 25lbs doing it this way
u/KizashiKaze1Aug 1, 2026, 4:37 PM
Why...wouldn't you count something that has calories? You're giving yourself a false reality but not counting all your calories.
- u/CrispyInTheShade1Aug 1, 2026, 4:47 PM
  Because it sounds cumbersome and not something I'll do for long
  - u/FETTACH1Aug 1, 2026, 5:00 PM1 reply
  - u/[deleted]1Aug 1, 2026, 5:02 PM
  - u/KizashiKaze1Aug 1, 2026, 5:27 PM
u/Oftwicke1Aug 1, 2026, 4:38 PM
Snacks aren't hidden calories, they're just calories. Any food you eat provides energy measured in calories, because that's... how food works. If you want to lose weight you need to spend more energy than the food provides. All the food. If you want to be healthy you need to balance the nutrients - fat, protein, sugar, minerals, vitamins, fibre... That's it that's the entire secret. It's easier than many want to make it look.
u/thisismyyolo1Aug 1, 2026, 4:42 PM
All calories count towards your calorie count and whether you’re achieving calorie deficit (determines whether or not you lose weight). That said, I found it helpful to play a mental trick on myself to encourage myself to eat more low calorie vegetables. I hated counting calories. Like the actual act of it, it was an annoying amount of tasks added to my already busy day. So I would let myself eat certain low calorie vegetables (cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, etc.) without counting them. So that became my snacking food, which is a healthy habit. Anything added to the veggies (oil, butter, dressing, dip) still needs to be counted. Keep in mind this has the effect of artificially lowering your calorie count vs what you actually eat by maybe 100-200 or so calories, depending on how much veg you eat. You can manage this by just lowering your allowed daily calorie count by a little bit. This does NOT work with starchy vegetables (high calorie) or fruits (high calorie, high sugar). You can eat them, but you need to count them, or they will add up too fast.
u/CodFatherFTW1Aug 1, 2026, 4:48 PM
Fruit and veggies have calories and contribute to a caloric surplus
u/[deleted]1Aug 1, 2026, 4:49 PM
[removed]
u/yoursecretsanta20161Aug 1, 2026, 4:50 PM
Since you mention liking feeling full and nobody else has addressed that part yet, let me give it a go. Your stomach is super elastic. If you stretch it out frequently, it thinks that is what full feels like. If you can adjust your food volume down for a while (say a couple of months or more), that smaller amount becomes what full feels like. This is some of the reason lap-band surgery works. So if you can skip feeling full for a while, you can achieve your weight loss goals and eventually feel full again. Just remember that your stomach will adjust if you regularly eat bigger amounts and the yo-yo cycle can start. This why long-term many lap-band surgeries don’t work.
- u/CrispyInTheShade1Aug 1, 2026, 4:53 PM
  Wow okay thanks! That's reasonable
u/idkidchaha1Aug 1, 2026, 4:50 PM
Posts like these are so weird. It is extremely easy to lose weight. Just workout and eat in a calorie deficit. Or if you’re really lazy you don’t even need to workout. How are some people so confused with the extremely easy way to lose weight
u/CrispyInTheShade1Aug 1, 2026, 4:50 PM
Okay so count fruits, veggies not as necessary. But is weight-loss possible while being satiated? Many say no
- u/FETTACH1Aug 1, 2026, 5:03 PM
  It is. I told you how. But you seem to not be addressing the comment with the most up votes for some reason. It's the formula.
u/tex_hadnt_buzzed_me1Aug 1, 2026, 5:01 PM
There's a good nutrition study where people ate unlimited fruit and they lost weight. And had the biggest poops of people in any study that lab had done. If you can fill up on healthy stuff, you don't really need to count calories.
u/thetealappeal1Aug 1, 2026, 5:02 PM
When I was on WeightWtatchers I was on a program where raw fruits and veggies were 0 points until you ate a very high threshold and then they would count as like 1 point - but I am talking like multiple cups until it started to count. I would say talk to a dietician/nutritionist to come up with a gameplan of what will fill you up with minimal calories.
u/thunder-trippin1Aug 1, 2026, 5:05 PM
You’re supposed to count all of your calories. Even fruits, veggies, and that tablespoon of oil you used to cook or the butter you put on toast
u/[deleted]1Aug 1, 2026, 5:10 PM
[removed]
u/[deleted]1Aug 1, 2026, 5:11 PM
[removed]
u/officialuknow1Aug 1, 2026, 5:54 PM
Yes especially fruit is calorie dense
u/Creepy_Clouds19901Aug 1, 2026, 5:59 PM
Of course, you have to count the calories. Why wouldn't you?
u/cRobot001Aug 1, 2026, 6:00 PM
Why wouldn’t you? They are…. Calories.
u/metdear1Aug 1, 2026, 6:04 PM
Personally, I consider the calories in fruit but not veg. It tends to be pretty negligible.
u/epik1Aug 1, 2026, 6:13 PM
Veggies prob not, fruit prob worth doing, yeah.
u/gothiclg1Aug 1, 2026, 6:18 PM
Every single calorie counts. Your calorie counting won’t help if you’re leaving veggies out of the count.
- u/CrispyInTheShade1Aug 1, 2026, 6:34 PM
  Where many are reading "does cico matter? " the actual sentiment behind the question is "do people who want to lose weight feel hungry all the time? What if I graze on veggies? “ I was probably unclear
  - u/gothiclg1Aug 1, 2026, 7:13 PM
u/[deleted]1Aug 1, 2026, 6:22 PM
[removed]
u/but_a_smoky_mirror1Aug 1, 2026, 6:30 PM
I ate 35 potatoes and 52 watermelons today. Why no lose weight
u/ORANGENBLACK1012141Aug 1, 2026, 6:54 PM
I'm currently fasting a minimum of 16 (typically 18-20) hours every day and I've lost 20lbs since the beginning of june. I walk for 20-30 minutes before i eat anything and after my last meal. I don't calorie count. I do the boring diet so I don't get decision fatigue and consistency. I'm only drinking Himalayan pink salt water or plain water and black coffee only and sometimes green tea. When I've been on diets in the past as well as fasting I've always dropped it before long because i was hungry often or would get really hungry and cave in. This time I've not been getting hungry and it's because of satiety. You need to be satiated and for me it's lots of chicken, fish or shrimp and occasionally a small amount of ground beef and I'm not hungry like in the past. I've been using AI to help me out and so far it's been working for me.
u/gaokeai1Aug 1, 2026, 7:15 PM
Idk man maybe this is my history of ED talking but I feel like if you are counting calories over whether or not you should eat a fucking apple, that's a little insane. Just eat the damn apple. Cut back your calories in other areas if you need to. There's no way having a regular amount of fruit and vegetables, even as a snack, should be something to avoid. Everyone I know who would hem and haw over the calories in fruit was other people with an eating disorder.
- u/CrispyInTheShade1Aug 1, 2026, 7:20 PM
  Thank you, I agree actually now
u/Various_Range22591Aug 1, 2026, 7:21 PM
You don't *have* to do anything. I for one like to start a diet with little things like that not counted, so I know I have some easy levers to pull once my progress slows or stalls
u/beekNgeek1Aug 1, 2026, 7:21 PM
I’ve given up on ALL diets. What’s worked for me is drinking a lot more tea and liquid. Tea is a natural appetite suppressant and I like it. I also drink a cup of tea or soup before every meal (I’m Chinese). Makes me feel fuller sooner. I don’t calorie count but make myself wait 30 min before going for seconds (it takes up to an hr before your body tells your brain you are full).
u/Chattadawg1Aug 1, 2026, 7:39 PM
Some of the most out of shape people I know are vegetarian because they believe fruits and veggies are so good for you that you can eat all you want… and chips & twinkies are vegetarian BTW CICO doesn’t have excluded categories of foods
u/Camping_Queen_131Aug 1, 2026, 7:42 PM
Use low calorie, high water veggies like cucumber. If I'm hungry and dieting, I'll eat a big chunk of cucumber or raw carrots. I find the cucumber super filling.